Ron Becher, the first non-family president of Janesville, Wis.,-based contractor JP Cullen and Sons Inc. died in August at 60 after a short battle with leukemia. While losing a leader is difficult for any firm, the loss was cushioned by the executive's two-year training of its fifth generation of leadership—George Cullen and Jeannie Cullen-Schultz, children of Chairman Mark Cullen, who will succeed Becher as co-presidents.
"It wasn't a two month interview. This was a two-year process that George and I committed to, starting in 2017," says Cullen-Schultz, who had been JP Cullen's healthcare construction vice president since 2013. George Cullen was previously vice president in charge of work procurement, including estimating and preconstruction. Their combined experience and skillsets have enabled a smooth transition.